Laminate manufacturing device and laminate manufacturing method

Abstract

This laminate manufacturing device comprises: a supply mechanism for sequentially supplying plate-like core members along a conveyance direction; a receiving member for receiving the plurality of core members supplied from the supply mechanism; and a first holding member that is movable between a holding position and a non-holding position and has a predetermined length in a direction along the conveyance direction, said holding position being for holding the core member supplied from the supply mechanism and disposed around the conveyance path of the core member between the supply mechanism and the receiving member in the conveyance direction, said non-holding position being for not holding the core member supplied from the supply mechanism. The first holding member includes: a protruding part that is formed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction and restricts conveyance of the core member to the receiving member when the first holding member is in the holding position; and a guide part that is formed on the upstream side in the conveyance direction and restricts the position of the core member so as to face the side surface of the core member when the first holding member is in the holding position.

Description

LAMINATE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS AND LAMINATE MANUFACTURING METHOD

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to a laminate manufacturing apparatus and a laminate manufacturing method.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In order to obtain a motor core (rotor core or stator core) used in a motor mounted on an electric vehicle or the like, a laminated body is conventionally manufactured by laminating a plurality of core members.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2022-030638 describes a conveying device that stacks punched plates punched by a die and conveys them to a carry-out position outside a press. This conveying device includes a conveying body on which the punched plates can be placed, a movement mechanism that moves the conveying body, a guide body that stacks the punched plates on the placement surface when the conveying body is in an internal position with its placement surface located below the die, and an advancing / retracting mechanism that moves the guide body between an advanced position where it guides the punched plates and a retracted position where it retracts.

[0004] The device described in JP 2022-030638 A regulates the positions of the punched plates being stacked by advancing and retracting a rod-shaped guide body so that it is inserted into the appropriate position of the punched plates. However, because the structure requires the tip of the guide body to be advanced to a position where it reaches the inside of the mold, the operating distance of the guide body is long, and the time required for the guide body to move back and forth is long. As a result, the time required to manufacture the stack (the so-called takt time) is long.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a laminate manufacturing apparatus and a laminate manufacturing method that are capable of manufacturing a laminate in a short takt time.

[0006] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a supply mechanism that sequentially supplies plate-shaped core members along a conveying direction, a receiving member that receives multiple core members supplied from the supply mechanism, and a first holding member that is arranged around the conveying path of the core members between the supply mechanism and the receiving member in the conveying direction and is movable between a holding position that holds the core members supplied from the supply mechanism and a non-holding position that does not hold the core members supplied from the supply mechanism, the first holding member having a predetermined length in the conveying direction, the first holding member including a protrusion formed on the downstream side in the conveying direction that restricts the conveyance of the core members to the receiving member when in the holding position, and a guide portion formed on the upstream side in the conveying direction that faces the side of the core members to restrict the position of the core members when in the holding position.

[0007] In this laminate manufacturing apparatus, the first holding member includes a guide portion, which allows the core material supplied from the supply mechanism to be positioned, particularly in a direction intersecting the conveying direction. Therefore, the posture of the conveyed core material can be stabilized without the need for a separate component for positioning. Furthermore, because no separate component is required, there is no need to ensure time for the component to operate, which is expected to shorten the takt time.

[0008] The laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first aspect, further comprising a guide pin extending from the downstream side in the conveying direction toward the upstream side in the conveying direction, and the guide pin is movable between a guide position where its tip extends to the position in the conveying direction where the first holding member is arranged and guides the iron core member held by the first holding member, and a release position where the guiding of the iron core member is released.

[0009] In this laminate manufacturing device, the guide pins can more reliably position the transported core members. Also, by positioning the tip of the guide pin at the guide position where the first holding member is disposed, the operating distance of the guide pin can be made shorter than in the past, and the lengthening of the takt time due to the use of the guide pins can be prevented.

[0010] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, further including a second holding member arranged around the transport path of the iron core material between the supply mechanism and the protrusion in the transport direction, and movable between a holding position that holds the iron core material supplied from the supply mechanism and a non-holding position that does not hold the iron core material supplied from the supply mechanism.

[0011] In such a laminate manufacturing apparatus, by moving the second holding member to the holding position when the first holding member is in the non-holding position, the second holding member can hold the core members supplied from the supply mechanism when the first holding member is in the non-holding position in place of the first holding member, which makes it easier to manage the number of core members received by the receiving member.

[0012] A laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the first holding member and the second holding member are arranged at different positions when viewed from a direction along the conveying direction, and the upstream end of the first holding member in the conveying direction further includes an extension guide portion that extends along the conveying direction to a position where the second holding member is arranged, and faces a side of the iron core member to regulate the position of the iron core member when the first holding member is in the holding position.

[0013] In such a laminate manufacturing device, the position of the iron core material temporarily held by the second holding member can be regulated by the extension guide portion, thereby making it possible to more stabilize the posture of the transported iron core material.

[0014] A method for manufacturing a laminate according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure includes the steps of: sequentially supplying plate-shaped core members along a conveying direction; moving a first holding member capable of selectively holding the supplied core members to a holding position where the core members are held; when the number of core members held by the first holding member reaches a predetermined number, moving the first holding member to a non-holding position where the core members are not held; receiving the predetermined number of core members that have been released from being held by the first holding member at a receiving member arranged downstream of the first holding member in the conveying direction; and returning the first holding member to the holding position.

[0015] In this laminate manufacturing method, the supplied core materials are held using a first holding member including a guide portion, allowing for positioning of the core materials, particularly in a direction intersecting the conveying direction. This allows the posture of the conveyed core materials to be stabilized without the need for a separate component for positioning. Therefore, a separate positioning step is not required, and cycle time can be reduced. Furthermore, the desired number of core materials can be conveyed to the receiving member at the desired timing by moving the first holding member.

[0016] A method for manufacturing a laminate according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the method for manufacturing a laminate according to the fifth aspect, further comprising the steps of: moving a guide pin extending from the downstream side of the conveying direction along the conveying direction to a guide position where its tip extends to a position in the conveying direction where the first holding member is disposed, thereby guiding the iron core members; and, after the predetermined number of iron core members are received by the receiving member, moving the guide pin to a release position where the guiding of the iron core members is released.

[0017] In this laminate manufacturing method, the guide pin can be moved to more reliably position the transported core material. Also, by positioning the tip of the guide pin at the guide position where the first holding member is disposed, the operating distance of the guide pin can be made shorter than in the past, and the lengthening of the takt time due to the use of the guide pin can be prevented.

[0018] A method for manufacturing a laminate according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a method for manufacturing a laminate according to the fifth or sixth aspect, further comprising the steps of: when the number of iron core members held by the first holding member reaches a predetermined number, before moving the first holding member to a non-holding position where it does not hold the iron core members, moving a second holding member that is arranged upstream of the first holding member in the conveying direction and is capable of selectively holding the iron core members being supplied, to a holding position where it holds the iron core members; and after the step of returning the first holding member to the holding position, moving the second holding member to a non-holding position where it does not hold the iron core members.

[0019] In this method of manufacturing a laminate, by moving the second holding member to the holding position when the first holding member is in the non-holding position, the second holding member can hold the core members supplied when the first holding member is in the non-holding position in place of the first holding member, which makes it easier to manage the number of core members received by the receiving member.

[0020] According to the laminate manufacturing apparatus and laminate manufacturing method of the present disclosure, a laminate can be manufactured in a short takt time.

[0021] 8 is a plan view showing an example of an iron core member supplied to the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of the laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part B in FIG. 2. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a laminate manufacturing method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is an operation explanatory diagram showing the state of a main part of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 5 is executed. FIG. 14 is an operation explanatory diagram showing the state of a main part of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 5 is executed. FIG. 15 is an operation explanatory diagram showing the state of a main part of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 5 is executed. FIG. 16 is an operation explanatory diagram showing the state of a main part of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 when the laminate manufacturing method shown in FIG. 5 is executed. FIG. 17 is an operation explanatory diagram showing the state of a main part of the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. Fig. 11 is an operation explanatory diagram showing the state of the main parts of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 8 when the manufacturing method for the laminate shown in Fig. 10 is carried out. Fig. 12 is an operation explanatory diagram showing the state of the main parts of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 8 when the manufacturing method for the laminate shown in Fig. 10 is carried out. Fig. 13 is an operation explanatory diagram showing the state of the main parts of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 8 when the manufacturing method for the laminate shown in Fig. 10 is carried out.

[0022] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-042056, filed on March 18, 2024, in Japan, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the following detailed description. Further scope of application of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, the detailed description and specific examples are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are described for illustrative purposes only. From this detailed description, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The applicant does not intend to dedicate any of the described embodiments to the public, and the applicants also consider disclosed modifications and alternatives, even if not literally included within the scope of the claims, to be part of the invention under the doctrine of equivalents. Like reference numbers and names in the various drawings indicate like elements.

[0023] Hereinafter, each embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope necessary for the explanation to achieve the object of the present disclosure will be schematically shown below, and the scope necessary for explaining the relevant parts of the present disclosure will be mainly explained, and the parts for which explanation is omitted will be referred to as publicly known technologies. Furthermore, identical or corresponding components in the drawings will be given the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, when a single drawing includes multiple identical or corresponding components, only some of them may be given reference numerals to make the drawing easier to understand.

[0024] First Embodiment Before describing the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 (see FIG. 2 ) and laminate manufacturing method according to the first embodiment, a brief description will be given of the iron core members that make up the laminate. In this embodiment, the iron core members to be laminated may be stacked in multiple pieces to form a block core. This block core may be stacked singly or in multiple pieces to form a motor core, for example, a stator core for an inner rotor type rotating electrical machine. In this disclosure, the term "laminated body" refers to a simple stack of multiple iron core members, and a "motor core" refers to a body formed by joining such laminates by welding or the like. The motor core described above may be either a split stator core or a non-split stator core, and may also form a rotor core instead of a stator core.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an iron core member supplied to a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. The iron core member (sometimes referred to as a "core piece") 10 can be formed from a plate-shaped electromagnetic steel sheet having a predetermined thickness, for example, a thickness of approximately 0.1 to 1.0 mm. The iron core member 10 of this embodiment does not have an element (e.g., a crimping portion) for joining to another iron core member 10. As shown in FIG. 1 , the iron core member 10 can include an annular yoke 11 having a through-hole formed in its center in which a rotor core can be disposed, and teeth 12 that are generally T-shaped in plan view and are provided on the inner periphery of the yoke 11 so as to protrude toward the center of the yoke 11. The iron core member 10 may also be a block formed by joining multiple core pieces together.

[0026] 1 illustrates the yoke 11 as being circular with no irregularities on the surface, but irregularities may be formed on the outer circumferential surface or on the front and back surfaces. The teeth 12 provided on the inner periphery of the yoke 11 may be a plurality of teeth (e.g., 24 teeth) arranged at approximately equal intervals along the inner periphery. Armature coils may be wound around these teeth 12 when assembled into a stator core. The specific shape and arrangement of the teeth 12 may be changed as appropriate.

[0027] The following describes a manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing a laminate by stacking the iron core members 10 having the above-described configuration. Note that the specific structure of the iron core member 10 is not limited to that described above and can be modified in various ways.

[0028] (Laminate Manufacturing Apparatus) Fig. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. In Fig. 2, a portion of the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 is shown as a cross-sectional view to facilitate understanding of the structure. In Fig. 2, the thickness of the core member 10 is particularly shown larger than the actual dimensions for the purpose of facilitating understanding. In the following description, the direction indicated by arrow X in Fig. 2 is the left-right direction, and similarly hereinafter, the direction indicated by arrow Y is the front-rear direction, and the direction indicated by arrow Z is the up-down direction.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes at least a supply mechanism 20 that sequentially supplies iron core members 10 along the conveying direction, a receiving jig 30 as an example of a receiving member that receives the multiple iron core members 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20, and a first holding member 40 arranged between the supply mechanism 20 and the receiving jig 30.

[0030] The supply mechanism 20 may be configured, for example, as a press machine including a die capable of selectively punching out and forming the core material 10 from the steel strip 2 conveyed in the direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 2 . The supply mechanism 20 may include a die (sometimes referred to as a lower die) 21 that supports a portion of the steel strip 2 together with a support table 23 that supports the conveyed steel strip 2, and a punch (sometimes referred to as an upper die) 22 that is disposed above the die 21 and can be moved vertically by an actuator (not shown). When the punch 22 moves in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 2 , the core material 10 is punched out and formed from the steel strip 2. Note that, although the present embodiment illustrates the case where the above-described press machine is used as the supply mechanism 20, any structure that can sequentially supply the core materials 10 one by one or multiple sheets is not limited to a structure including the press machine. As a specific example, the supply mechanism of the present embodiment may be configured as a conveying device or the like that can sequentially convey pre-punched core materials 10.

[0031] The supply mechanism 20 may further include a squeezer 25 capable of transporting the core materials 10 discharged from the die 21 in a stacked state along the transport direction. As shown in FIG. 2 , the squeezer 25 may be, for example, a cylindrical member whose outer diameter is adjusted to be substantially the same as that of the core materials 10. The squeezer 25 is connected to the downstream side of the die 21 in the transport direction and is capable of transporting the core materials 10 discharged from the lower end of the die 21 in the transport direction while supporting them by applying lateral pressure from the sides. The squeezer 25 may be attached to the support base 23 together with the die 21. By employing the squeezer 25 having the above-described configuration, the core materials 10 punched and extruded below the die 21 can be stably transported in a stacked state.

[0032] The "transport direction" here refers to the direction in which the core members 10 move as they are transported within the squeeze chamber 25, and in this embodiment refers to the vertical direction shown in Fig. 2. The inner peripheral surface of the squeeze chamber 25 is not particularly limited as long as it has a structure that can support the core members 10 from the sides. Furthermore, in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6 (described later), for ease of understanding, examples are shown in which a relatively small number of core members 10 are transported within the squeeze chamber 25, but the number of core members 10 that can be transported within the squeeze chamber 25 may be in the tens to hundreds. The total number of core members that make up the laminate may also be in the tens to hundreds.

[0033] The core members 10 continuously discharged from the die 21 can be successively carried in and supported at the upper end of the squeezer 25. Therefore, each time a new core member 10 is carried in the squeezer 25, the core member 10 already held in the squeezer 25 is pressed by the new core member 10 and is transported downward within the squeezer 25 by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the new core member 10.

[0034] The receiving jig 30 is a member that can receive the multiple core materials 10 carried out from the downstream end of the squeezer 25 in the conveying direction. The receiving jig 30 includes at least a base on which the core materials 10 carried out from the squeezer 25 are placed, and a conveying arm (not shown) for moving or rotating the core materials 10 in any direction may be attached to the base. In addition, the receiving jig 30 may be provided with multiple through holes at appropriate positions along the conveying direction, into which guide pins 50, described below, can be inserted.

[0035] In this embodiment, the receiving jig 30 described above is used as an example of the receiving member, but the receiving member may have a configuration other than the receiving jig 30 described above as long as it is capable of receiving the core material 10 carried out from the squeeze 25. Specifically, the receiving member may also be a conveying device such as a conveyor or a slope, or a receiving table that can apply pressure in the direction opposite to the conveying direction (this pressure is also called back pressure) to the core material 10 being conveyed through the squeeze 25. Furthermore, these conveying devices and the receiving jig 30 described above may also be used in appropriate combination.

[0036] The first holding member 40 is disposed between the supply mechanism 20 and the receiving jig 30 in the conveying direction and selectively holds the core materials 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20. Specifically, the first holding member 40 of this embodiment includes a pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 disposed to surround the periphery of the conveying path TR of the core materials 10, with a predetermined gap D1 left downstream of the squeezer 25 in the conveying direction. The gap D1 can be adjusted appropriately taking into account the number of core materials 10 to be held by the first holding member 40, and can also be adjusted to zero, in other words, so that the upper surfaces of the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 contact the lower surface of the squeezer 25. The first holding member 40 may also include an actuator (not shown) that moves the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 in a direction intersecting the conveying direction, more specifically, in a direction toward and away from the conveying path TR (more specifically, in a direction along arrow A3 shown in FIG. 2 ). In this embodiment, the first holding member 40 is mainly composed of a pair of first holding pieces 41, 41, but the specific shape, number, and arrangement of the holding pieces 41 can be changed as appropriate within the range in which their function can be maintained.

[0037] Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part B in Fig. 2. Note that the receiving jig 30 is omitted from Fig. 3 for ease of viewing. Also, Fig. 3 shows the core members 10 being transported along the transport path TR by dotted lines. Furthermore, Fig. 4 shows a state in which multiple core members 10 are held by the first holding member 40.

[0038] The pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 may be configured as block bodies having a predetermined length along the conveyance direction and having an arc-shaped surface facing the conveyance path TR. Furthermore, the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 may be configured of members of the same shape except for their orientation and arrangement, and may be arranged to face each other with the conveyance path TR between them, as shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are movable between a holding position (more specifically, the position indicated by the solid lines in Figs. 3 and 4) where they hold the core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 and a non-holding position (more specifically, the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4) where they do not hold the core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20.

[0039] Each of the pair of first holding pieces 41 includes a protrusion 42 formed on the downstream side in the conveying direction and capable of regulating the conveyance of the core material 10 to the receiving jig 30 when the pair of first holding pieces 41 are in the holding position, and a guide portion 43 formed on the upstream side in the conveying direction and facing the side surface of the core material 10 when the pair of first holding pieces 41 are in the holding position to regulate the position of the core material 10, particularly its position in the horizontal direction. As shown in Figure 4, the pair of first holding pieces 41 in this embodiment are arranged so that the protrusion 42 and guide portion 43 are connected along the conveying direction.

[0040] Compared to the guide portion 43, the protrusion 42 is formed so that the portion facing the transport path TR protrudes in a direction intersecting the transport direction, more specifically, in a direction approaching the transport path TR. Furthermore, when the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are in the holding position, the portion of the protrusion 42 facing the transport path TR abuts against and presses the side of the core material 10 being transported on the transport path TR, thereby forming a clamping surface 44 that regulates its transport. When the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are in the holding position, if core materials 10 are supplied from the supply mechanism 20, the first supplied core material 10 is clamped by the clamping surface 44, thereby regulating its transport to the receiving jig 30, as shown in FIG. In this state, when another iron core material 10 is supplied from the supply mechanism 20, the other iron core material 10 is placed upstream of the first iron core material 10 held by the clamping surface 44, and its transport to the receiving jig 30 is restricted in the same way as the first iron core material 10.

[0041] The portion of the guide portion 43 that faces the transport path TR is slightly spaced apart from the transport path TR compared to the protrusion 42. The portion of the guide portion 43 that faces the transport path TR can be a guide surface 45 that is a tapered surface that slopes from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction so as to approach the transport path TR. The dimensions of the guide surface 45 are adjusted so that it can guide the side surface of the core material 10 transported on the transport path TR when the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are in the holding position. The term "guide" here refers to regulating the position of the core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 at least in the horizontal direction (in other words, the XY plane direction in FIG. 1 ) when the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are in the holding position. When the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are in the holding position, the gap between each guide surface 45 and the side surface of the core member 10 passing through the space between the guide surfaces 45 is preferably a very small gap of, for example, about several microns (more specifically, 1 to 10 microns) at least at the lower end of the guide portion 43. Alternatively, the dimensions of the guide surfaces 45 may be adjusted so that when the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are in the holding position, the guide surfaces 45 and the side surface of the core member 10 passing through the space between the guide surfaces 45 at least partially abut each other.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the first holding member 40 includes the guide portion 43, so that the first holding member 40 can not only hold the iron core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 but also position it in the horizontal direction. As a result, in the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the conveying posture of the iron core material 10 can be stabilized without employing a separate guide member (for example, the guide body described in the prior art). Furthermore, by providing the guide portion 43, even if the squeezer 25 and the first holding member 40 are separated by, for example, the gap D1, the horizontal position of the iron core material 10 conveyed from the lower end of the squeezer 25 can be aligned.

[0043] On the other hand, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment can also further employ a guide pin 50 capable of regulating the position of the iron core material 10 in order to further stabilize the posture of the iron core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20, as shown in Figure 2.

[0044] The guide pins 50 may be composed of multiple (two in this embodiment) rod-shaped members extending from the downstream side in the conveying direction, specifically, from the downstream side along the conveying direction relative to the position where the receiving jig 30 is disposed, toward the upstream side in the conveying direction. Alternatively, the guide pins 50 may be composed of substantially cylindrical rod-shaped members, and their diameters may be adjusted to a dimension that, when inserted into slots formed between the teeth 12 of the core member 10 as shown in FIG. 3 , restricts movement of the core member 10, particularly in the rotational direction. The insertion positions, shapes, and number of the guide pins 50 into the core member 10 are not limited to the above-described example. Specifically, the guide pins 50 may be inserted at positions where a portion of the guide pins abuts the outer periphery of the core member 10.

[0045] The guide pin 50 can be moved along the conveyance direction by an actuator (not shown). More specifically, the guide pin 50 can be moved back and forth between a guide position where it can guide one or more core materials 10 held by the first holding member 40 and a release position where it releases the guide from the core materials 10. Here, the position of the tip of the guide pin 50 at the guide position can be adjusted so that it is always located downstream in the conveyance direction from the position where the first holding member 40 is disposed. This is because, in the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment, the horizontal position of the core materials 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 is restricted by the guide portion 43 of the first holding member 40, so there is no need to set the position where position restriction by the guide pin 50 begins, for example, within the squeeze 25. By limiting the tip position of the guide pin 50 when extended upstream in the conveyance direction in this manner, the operating distance of the guide pin 50 can be shortened. Therefore, even when the guide pin 50 is used, the takt time can be kept relatively short.

[0046] In order to control the above-described components, the manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment may further include a control device 60. This control device 60 may be communicably connected to the components via wired or wireless communication, for example, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. A computer such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or a general-purpose computer may be used as the control device 60.

[0047] The computer constituting the control device 60 may include, for example, at least a processor, a memory, and various interfaces. This computer may be capable of controlling each component by executing a program stored in the memory with the processor.

[0048] In the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 including the above-described components, the first holding member 40 includes a protrusion 42 that directly holds the core material 10, as well as a guide portion 43 that regulates the horizontal position of the core material 10 upstream of the protrusion 42. Therefore, the posture of the core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 can be stabilized without the need for a guide separate from the holding member to control the position of the core material 10, as in the conventional method. This reduces the cycle time for the laminate. Furthermore, even when the guide pin 50 is used, the operating distance of the guide pin 50 is set shorter than in the conventional method, preventing the cycle time from becoming longer.

[0049] (Laminate Manufacturing Method) Next, a laminate manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following description, an example will be given in which a laminate is manufactured using the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 described above, but the laminate manufacturing method of the present disclosure can also be implemented using an apparatus other than the manufacturing apparatus 1. The laminate manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, which is realized by the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1, can be provided in the form of a program including instructions for causing a processor of a control device 60 that controls each component of the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 to execute predetermined operations, in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing this program, or in the form of a program product. Note that the following description of the effects and the like also serves as a description of the effects of the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0050] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a manufacturing method for a laminate according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of the main parts of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 2 when the manufacturing method for a laminate shown in Fig. 5 is executed. In Fig. 6, in order to make it easy to understand the state of transport of the iron core member 10 transported from the squeezer 25 to the receiving jig 30, only the parts of the manufacturing apparatus 1 related to the transport are shown, and other parts are not shown.

[0051] The manufacturing method of the laminate in this embodiment includes at least the steps of: sequentially supplying plate-shaped core members 10 along the conveying direction (corresponding to step S11 described later); moving a first holding member 40 capable of selectively holding the supplied core members 10 to a holding position where the core members 10 are held (corresponding to step S13 described later); when the number of core members 10 held by the first holding member 40 reaches a predetermined number (Yes in step S15 described later), moving the first holding member 40 to a non-holding position where the core members 10 are not held (corresponding to step S16 described later); receiving the predetermined number of core members 10 that have been released from being held by the first holding member 40 in a receiving jig 30 arranged downstream of the first holding member 40 in the conveying direction (corresponding to step S17 described later); and returning the first holding member 40 to the holding position (corresponding to step S19 described later).

[0052] In addition, the manufacturing method of the laminate according to this embodiment can further include a step of moving a guide pin 50 extending from the downstream side of the conveying direction along the conveying direction to a guide position where its tip extends to a position in the conveying direction where the first holding member 40 is arranged, thereby guiding the iron core member 10 (corresponding to step S14 described later), and a step of moving the guide pin 50 to a release position where the guiding of the iron core member 10 is released after the receiving jig 30 has received a predetermined number of iron core members 10 (corresponding to step S18 described later).

[0053] To explain the manufacturing method of the laminate according to this embodiment in more detail, the manufacturing method first starts a punching operation using the supply mechanism 20, more specifically the punch 22 and the die 21, to start supplying the core material 10 to the squeeze 25 (step S11). This punching operation is performed by lowering the punch 22 at a predetermined timing relative to the strip steel sheet 2 being fed in one direction, for example, the left-right direction. The core material 10 formed by this punching is pressed by the punch 22 to move below the die 21, and is forced into the squeeze 25 from the upper end of the squeeze 25 connected to the die 21.

[0054] The core members 10 pushed into the squeeze chamber 25 have at least a portion of their outer circumferential surface laterally supported by the inner circumferential surface of the squeeze chamber 25. The core members 10 supported at their sides are then transported downward within the squeeze chamber 25 in a stacked state (step S12). The transport of the core members 10 by the squeeze chamber 25 may be performed by bringing a new core member 10 into the upper end of the squeeze chamber 25 and having this core member 10 push down the other core members 10 already held within the squeeze chamber 25. Therefore, the multiple core members 10 held within the squeeze chamber 25 are transported in the transport direction while maintaining their stacked state. The operations shown in steps S11 and S12 above can be started substantially simultaneously in conjunction with the start of the operation of the punch 22.

[0055] When the conveyance of the iron core material 10 by the squeezer 25 begins, as shown in FIG. 6A , before the iron core material 10 is carried out from the squeezer 25, the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are moved from the non-holding position to the holding position (step S13). Following or in parallel with the movement of the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41, the guide pin 50 is moved to the guide position (step S14). Here, as shown in FIG. 6B , the position of the tip of the guide pin 50 that has been moved to the guide position is adjusted so that it is positioned at the same position as or lower than the upper ends of the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 where the first holding member 40 is disposed. This shortens the operating distance of the guide pin 50, thereby shortening the time required for the guide pin 50 to operate.

[0056] Once the movement of the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 and the guide pins 50 is completed and a predetermined time has elapsed, the core material 10 begins to be removed from the squeezer 25. When the sequential removal of the core materials from the lower end of the squeezer 25 begins, the first core material 10 removed from the squeezer 25 is transported to the protruding portion 42 with its horizontal position regulated by the guide portions 43 of the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 in the holding position. The core material 10 transported to the protruding portion 42 is held therein with part of its side surface pressed by the clamping surface 44. The other core materials 10 removed from the squeezer 25 following the first core material 10 are transported with their horizontal positions regulated by the guide portions 43 of the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41, and are then placed in order on the core material 10 held by the protruding portion 42, thereby being held by the first holding member 40. In addition, the iron core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 is held by a pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 with its positioning determined particularly in the rotational direction, as the guide pins 50 at the guide positions are inserted into their respective slots.

[0057] As the supply of core materials 10 from the supply mechanism 20 continues, when the number of core materials 10 held by the pair of first holding pieces 41 reaches a predetermined number (e.g., four) (Yes in step S15), the first holding members 40 begin to release their holding. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6B , the pair of first holding pieces 41 are moved from the holding position to the non-holding position, thereby transporting the predetermined number of core materials 10 together to the receiving jig 30 (step S16). At this time, the posture of the core materials 10 being transported together to the receiving jig 30 is maintained by the guide pins 50 until they reach the receiving jig 30. The number of core materials 10 held by the pair of first holding pieces 41 can be determined, for example, by detecting the number of core materials 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 using a sensor (not shown) or the like. Furthermore, Figure 6 shows an example in which the above-mentioned predetermined number is four, but the predetermined number can be changed appropriately to match the number of iron core members 10 that constitute one block core, etc.

[0058] When the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 move to the non-holding position, the receiving jig 30 receives a predetermined number of iron core members 10 that have been released from the holding state by the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41, as shown in Figure 6C (step S17).

[0059] In step S16 described above, the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 moved to the non-holding position quickly return to the holding position after the predetermined number of core materials 10 they held have moved toward the receiving jig 30 (step S18). The reason why the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are quickly returned to the holding position is that if a core material 10 is carried out from the squeeze 25 while the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are in the non-holding position, it will be supplied to the receiving jig 30 without being held by the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41. If there is a core material 10 supplied to the receiving jig 30 without being temporarily held by the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41, there is a possibility that the number of core materials 10 to be received by the receiving jig 30 will vary. Therefore, from the viewpoint of easily managing the number of core materials 10 received by the receiving jig 30, it is advisable to quickly return the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 to their holding positions, specifically at a timing when no core material is temporarily not held by the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41. Furthermore, by temporarily holding all of the core materials 10 supplied to the receiving jig 30 by the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 in this way, the core materials 10 can be dropped in a mass of multiple stacked sheets. This makes it possible to stabilize the dropped posture of the core materials 10.

[0060] In step S17, the receiving jig 30 that has received the predetermined number of core materials 10 performs operations such as transporting the received core materials 10 to the next process or rotating them for rolling. Rolling refers to a process in which the receiving jig 30 is rotated by a predetermined angle at any timing to change the overlapping direction between the core materials 10 already supplied on the receiving jig 30 and the core materials 10 to be supplied to the receiving jig 30. To perform these various operations of the receiving jig 30, the guide pin 50 is moved from the guide position to the release position (step S19). In this embodiment, the release position is, for example, a position where the tip of the guide pin 50 reaches a position lower than the receiving jig 30 (see, for example, FIG. 12A described below). When the guide pin 50 moves to the release position, the receiving jig 30, with the predetermined number of core materials 10 placed on it, can perform the desired operation without being constrained by the guide pin 50. After the above-described series of steps have been performed, the process returns to step S14 and the series of steps are repeated.

[0061] As described above, according to the manufacturing method of the laminate according to the present embodiment, by positioning the core members during transportation, it is possible to stack them while stabilizing their posture, thereby stably manufacturing the laminate. In addition, it is possible to prevent the takt time associated with the operating time of various components of the manufacturing equipment from becoming longer.

[0062] In the first embodiment described above, the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 are mainly exemplified as having the shape shown in Fig. 4, but the specific structure of the pair of holding pieces can be modified as appropriate. Below, several examples of modified examples of the pair of holding pieces are given.

[0063] 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of essential parts of a modified first holding piece, each showing a format corresponding to FIG. 4 . As shown in FIG. 7A , the first holding pieces 41A, 41A according to this modification are similar to the first holding pieces 41, 41 of the first embodiment described above in that a protrusion 42A including a clamping surface 44A is provided downstream in the conveying direction, and a guide portion 43A is provided upstream in the conveying direction. However, the shape of the guide surface 45A of the guide portion 43A differs from that of the guide surface 45A of the first holding pieces 41, 41A. Specifically, the guide portion 43A of the first holding pieces 41A, 41A according to this modification includes a transition portion 46 on its downstream side. The upstream portion of the guide surface 45A of the guide portion 43A, which does not correspond to the transition portion 46, extends along the conveying direction, while the downstream portion of the guide surface 45A, which corresponds to the transition portion 46, extends in a tapered inclined manner.

[0064] By gradually changing the shape of the guide surface 45A as in the first holding pieces 41A, 41A of the above-described modified example, the iron core member 10 can be smoothly held by the protrusion 42.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 7B , the first holding pieces 41B, 41B according to this modification are similar to the first holding pieces 41, 41 of the first embodiment described above in that a protrusion 42B is provided downstream in the conveying direction and a guide portion 43B is provided upstream in the conveying direction. However, the protrusion amount of the protrusion 42B differs from that of the protrusion 42 of the first embodiment, and therefore the structure for holding the core material 10 at the protrusion 42B is different. When the first holding pieces 41B, 41B are in the holding position, the tip of the protrusion 42B of this modification is positioned within the conveying path TR. As a result, the core material 10 being conveyed along the conveying path TR is held by the first holding pieces 41B, 41B by having its lower surface placed on a holding surface 47 formed on the inner upper surface of the protrusion 42B. Note that, although the guide surface 45B of this modification is illustrated as extending along the conveying direction over the entire length in the conveying direction, the present invention is not particularly limited thereto.

[0066] As in the first holding pieces 41B, 41B according to the other modified examples described above, if a portion of the protrusion 42B is positioned within the transport path TR at the holding position, the iron core material 10 can be held more reliably.

[0067] Second Embodiment In the above-described first embodiment, an example has been given in which the supply of the iron core member 10 to the receiving jig 30 is controlled using only the first holding member 40, but the present disclosure is not limited to such a structure. Therefore, below, as a second embodiment, a laminate manufacturing apparatus including a plurality of holding members and a laminate manufacturing method will be described.

[0068] (Laminate Manufacturing Apparatus) The laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment differs from the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment described above in that it includes two holding members, a first holding member 40C and a second holding member 70, but other structures may be similar to the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1. Therefore, in the following, parts having the same configuration as the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment and their description will be omitted, and the following will mainly describe parts that are different from those in the first embodiment.

[0069] Fig. 8 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an example of a laminate manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment. Fig. 8 is drawn to correspond to Fig. 2. Fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 8, the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment includes a second holding member 70 that can selectively hold an iron core member 10 between the supply mechanism 20 and the guide portion 43C of the first holding member 40C in the conveyance direction.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the second holding member 70 includes a pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 arranged to surround the transport path TR. The pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 may be configured, for example, as blocks whose surfaces facing the transport path TR are curved in an arc and whose lengths in the transport direction are shorter than those of the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C. The pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 may also have the same shape as the first holding pieces 41, 41A, 41B described in the first embodiment or its modified example. The pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 may be configured of members of the same shape except for their orientation and arrangement. As shown primarily in FIG. 9 , the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 are arranged to face each other across the transport path TR. Furthermore, the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C that constitute the first holding member 40C and the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 that constitute the second holding member 70 are arranged at different positions when viewed from a direction along the conveying direction, as shown in Figure 9.

[0071] Furthermore, the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 are movable between a holding position (more specifically, the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 9 ) where they hold the core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20, and a non-holding position (more specifically, the position shown by the dotted line in FIG. 9 ) where they do not hold the core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20. Parts of the upper surfaces of the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 function as a placement surface 72 on which the core material 10 is placed when the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 are positioned at the holding position.

[0072] In this embodiment, the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C constituting the first holding member 40C are similar to the pair of first holding pieces 41, 41 of the first embodiment in that a protrusion 42C is formed on the downstream side in the conveying direction and a guide portion 43C is formed on the upstream side in the conveying direction. On the other hand, the upstream end of the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C in the conveying direction, in other words, the upper end of the guide portion 43A, further includes an extension guide portion 48 that extends along the conveying direction to a position where the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 are disposed.

[0073] When the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C are in the holding position, the extension guide portion 48 faces the side surface of the core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20, thereby guiding the core material 10, i.e., regulating its position in the horizontal direction. This makes it possible to guide the core material 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 before it is carried into the guide portion 43C.

[0074] The laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A according to this embodiment includes the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 described above, and is therefore able to control the number of core members 10 carried into the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C. This is particularly useful when, for example, the supply speed of the core members 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 is high and it is difficult to hold some of the core members 10 using only the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C. This point will be described in detail later when explaining the laminate manufacturing method according to this embodiment.

[0075] (Laminate Manufacturing Method) Next, a laminate manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following description, a case where a laminate is manufactured using the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A described above will be exemplified, but the laminate manufacturing method of the present disclosure can also be implemented using an apparatus other than the laminate manufacturing apparatus 1A. Note that the following description of the effects and the like also serves as a description of the effects of the manufacturing apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment.

[0076] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a manufacturing method for a laminate according to the second embodiment. Figs. 11 and 12 are explanatory diagrams showing the main parts of the manufacturing apparatus shown in Fig. 8 when the manufacturing method for a laminate shown in Fig. 10 is executed. Note that in Figs. 11 and 12, in order to facilitate understanding of the transport state of the iron core member 10, only the parts of the manufacturing apparatus 1A related to the transport are shown, and other parts are omitted. Additionally, in Figs. 11 and 12, in order to facilitate understanding of the operation of each of the two holding members, only the part where each holding member is arranged is shown as a cross section cut along line D-D shown in Fig. 9.

[0077] The method for manufacturing a laminate according to this embodiment may include the same steps as the method for manufacturing a laminate according to the first embodiment, except for the steps related to the second holding member. That is, in addition to the steps of manufacturing a laminate according to the first embodiment, the method may further include a step of moving a second holding member 70 to a holding position where it holds core members 10 (corresponding to step S21 described later) before a step of moving the first holding member 40C to a non-holding position where it does not hold core members 10 when the number of core members 10 held by the first holding member 40C has reached a predetermined number (corresponding to step S16 described later), and a step of moving the second holding member 70 to a non-holding position where it does not hold core members 10 (step S22 described later) after a step of returning the first holding member 40C to the holding position (corresponding to step S19 described later). Note that, in the following, descriptions of steps similar to those in the method for manufacturing a laminate according to the first embodiment will be partially omitted or simplified.

[0078] To explain the laminate manufacturing method according to this embodiment in more detail, the manufacturing method begins with starting a punching operation using the supply mechanism 20, more specifically, the punch 22 and the die 21, to start supplying the core materials 10 to the squeeze box 25 (step S11). The core materials 10 fed into the squeeze box 25 are transported downward in a stacked state, with at least a portion of their outer circumferential surfaces laterally supported by the inner circumferential surface of the squeeze box 25 (step S12). Once transport of the core materials 10 by the squeeze box 25 begins, as shown in FIG. 11A , before the core materials 10 are removed from the squeeze box 25, the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C are moved from the non-holding position to the holding position (step S13). Following or concurrently with the movement of the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C, the guide pin 50 is moved to the guide position (step S14).

[0079] As the supply of core materials 10 from the supply mechanism 20 continues, and the number of core materials 10 held by the pair of first holding pieces 41C reaches a predetermined number (for example, four) (Yes in step S15), the pair of second holding pieces 71 are moved from the non-holding position to the holding position (step S21) as shown in Fig. 11B so that the number of core materials 10 held by the first holding member 40 does not increase any further. When the pair of second holding pieces 71 are moved to the holding position, the core materials 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 thereafter are sequentially placed on the placing surfaces of the pair of second holding pieces 71 before being held by the protrusions 42C of the pair of first holding pieces 41C. At this time, taking into consideration the number and thickness of the iron core members 10 held on the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71, it is preferable that a predetermined gap D2 (see Figure 8) be secured between the lower end of the squeeze 25 and the mounting surfaces of the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71.

[0080] After the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 have moved to the holding position, the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C are moved from the holding position to the non-holding position (step S16). Here, if the supply mechanism 20 continues to operate while the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C are in the non-holding position, iron core materials 10 may be sequentially supplied from the supply mechanism 20. However, since the iron core materials 10 supplied at this time are held by the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 in the holding position and their transport is restricted, it is easy to control the number of iron core materials 10 on the receiving jig 30.

[0081] When the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C move to the non-holding position, the predetermined number of iron core members 10, which have been released from the holding state by the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C, are transported toward the receiving jig 30, as shown in Figure 11C, and are received by the receiving jig 30 (step S17).

[0082] When the predetermined number of core members 10 that they held have been moved toward the receiving jig 30, the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C return to their holding positions (step S18). At this time, because the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C includes the extension guide portions 48, when they return to their holding positions, the horizontal positions of one or more core members 10 held by the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 are regulated. Furthermore, after the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C return to their holding positions, the extension guide portions 48 continue to guide the core members 10 held by the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71. Therefore, the core members 10 that were held by the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 are reliably guided by the extension guide portions 487 even during the transition from being held by the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 to being held by the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C.

[0083] Next, the guide pins 50 are moved from the guide position to the release position (step S19). When the guide pins 50 are moved to the release position, the receiving jig 30 performs operations such as transporting a predetermined number of core materials 10 to the next process or rotating them for rolling. Even during these operations, as described above, the core materials 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 are held by the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71, so the number of core materials 10 on the receiving jig 30 does not increase.

[0084] After the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C have returned to the holding position, the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 are moved to the non-holding position (step S22), as shown in Fig. 12A. When the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 have moved to the non-holding position, as shown in Fig. 12B, one or more iron core members 10 held by the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 move along the transport direction and are held by the protrusions 42C of the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C that have returned to the holding position. After the pair of second holding pieces 71, 71 have moved to the non-holding position, the process returns to step S14 described above and repeats the series of steps.

[0085] In the method for manufacturing a laminate according to the present embodiment, the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C are moved to the holding position before the guide pin 50 is moved to the release position, but the timing of these two movements is not limited to the above. For example, the movement of the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C to the holding position may start substantially simultaneously with the start of the movement of the guide pin 50 to the release position. Furthermore, the movement of the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C to the holding position may be executed at any timing between the start of the movement of the guide pin 50 to the release position and the end of the movement. Alternatively, the movement of the pair of first holding pieces 41C, 41C to the holding position may be executed after the movement of the guide pin 50 to the release position is completed.

[0086] As described above, in the manufacturing method of the laminate according to this embodiment, similar to the manufacturing method of the laminate according to the first embodiment, the core materials can be positioned during transport to stabilize their posture when stacked, thereby enabling stable manufacturing of the laminate. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the cycle time associated with the operating time of various components of the manufacturing apparatus from increasing. Additionally, since the second holding member 70 can temporarily hold the core materials 10 supplied from the supply mechanism 20 when the first holding member 40C is in the non-holding position, it is easy to manage the number of core materials 10 supplied to the receiving jig 30. Furthermore, it is possible to ensure sufficient time for the first holding member 40C to return from the non-holding position to the holding position.

[0087] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. All of these modifications are included in the technical concept of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, each component may be present in only one form or in two or more forms, provided that no contradiction occurs.

[0088] In the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0089] Furthermore, the operations of the processors in the above embodiments may be performed not only by a single processor but also by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processors is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments and may be changed as appropriate.

[0090] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference was individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and set forth in its entirety herein.

[0091] The use of nouns and similar referents in connection with the description of this disclosure (particularly in connection with the claims that follow) shall be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The words "comprises," "has," "includes," and "comprises" shall be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to"), unless otherwise noted. The recitation of numerical ranges herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method for referring individually to each value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Any example or exemplary language used herein (e.g., "such as"), unless otherwise claimed, is intended merely to better illustrate the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the present disclosure.

[0092] Preferred embodiments of the disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. Variations of these preferred embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventor expects that skilled persons will apply such variations as appropriate, and intends to practice the disclosure otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, this disclosure includes any combination of the above-described elements in all variations thereof unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing a laminate, comprising: a supply mechanism that sequentially supplies plate-shaped core materials along a conveying direction; a receiving member that receives a plurality of the iron core materials supplied from the supply mechanism; and a first holding member that is arranged around the conveying path of the iron core materials between the supply mechanism and the receiving member in the conveying direction, and is movable between a holding position that holds the iron core materials supplied from the supply mechanism and a non-holding position that does not hold the iron core materials supplied from the supply mechanism, and has a predetermined length in the direction along the conveying direction, wherein the first holding member comprises: a protrusion that is formed on the downstream side in the conveying direction and that regulates the conveyance of the iron core materials to the receiving member when in the holding position; and a guide portion that is formed on the upstream side in the conveying direction and that faces a side surface of the iron core material when in the holding position to regulate the position of the iron core material.

2. The laminate manufacturing device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide pin extending from the downstream side in the conveying direction toward the upstream side in the conveying direction, wherein the tip of the guide pin extends to the position in the conveying direction where the first holding member is disposed and is movable between a guide position where the guide pin guides the iron core member held by the first holding member and a release position where the guide of the iron core member is released.

3. The laminate manufacturing device according to claim 1, further comprising a second holding member arranged around the transport path of the iron core material between the supply mechanism and the protrusion in the transport direction, and movable between a holding position where the iron core material supplied from the supply mechanism is held and a non-holding position where the iron core material supplied from the supply mechanism is not held.

4. The laminate manufacturing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first holding member and the second holding member are arranged at different positions when viewed along the conveying direction, and the first holding member further comprises an extension guide portion at its upstream end in the conveying direction, which extends along the conveying direction to the position where the second holding member is arranged, and which faces the side of the iron core member to regulate the position of the iron core member when the first holding member is in the holding position.

5. A method for manufacturing a laminate, comprising: a step of sequentially supplying plate-shaped core members along a conveying direction; a step of moving a first holding member capable of selectively holding the supplied core members to a holding position where the core members are held; a step of moving the first holding member to a non-holding position where the core members are not held when the number of core members held by the first holding member reaches a predetermined number; a step of receiving the predetermined number of core members that have been released from being held by the first holding member at a receiving member arranged downstream of the first holding member in the conveying direction; and a step of returning the first holding member to the holding position.

6. A method for manufacturing a laminate according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of: moving a guide pin extending from the downstream side in the conveying direction along the conveying direction to a guide position where its tip extends to a position in the conveying direction where the first holding member is disposed, and guiding the iron core members; and, after the predetermined number of iron core members have been received by the receiving member, moving the guide pin to a release position where the guiding of the iron core members is released.

7. A method for manufacturing a laminate as set forth in claim 5, further comprising the steps of: when the number of iron core members held by the first holding member reaches a predetermined number, before moving the first holding member to a non-holding position where it does not hold the iron core members, moving a second holding member that is arranged upstream of the first holding member in the transport direction and is capable of selectively holding the iron core members being supplied, to a holding position where it holds the iron core members; and after the step of returning the first holding member to the holding position, moving the second holding member to a non-holding position where it does not hold the iron core members.

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